Corn, Ambrosia Hybrid

Short Description

Plump and sweet. Perfect for summer picnics.

Full Description

Ambrosia isn't just a name, it's the perfect description for this white and yellow checkered sugar-enhanced sweet corn. The 8" long ears on 6 1/2' tall plants are plump, sweet and ready for summer picnics. SE.

Type
Some flowers and vegetables fall into subcategories that may define how they grow (such as pole or bush), what they are used for (such as slicing tomatoes or shelling peas), flower type, or other designations that will help you select the type of a class of plant that you are looking for.

SE

Days To Maturity
The average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest.

75 days

Fruit Size
The average size of the fruit produced by this product.

8 inches

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

Start IndoorsStart Indoors
Starting seeds indoors is called Indoor Sow or Indirect Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds indoors in the spring or summer

TransplantTransplant
When to transplant bulbs or roots in the garden for spring

Start OutdoorsStart Outdoors
Starting seeds outdoors is called Outdoor Sow or Direct Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the spring or summer

Start Indoors FallStart Indoors Fall
Starting seeds indoors in the fall called Indoor Sow or Indirect Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the fall

Transplant FallTransplant Fall
Transplant Fall-When to transplant bulbs or roots in the garden for fall

Start Outdoors FallStart Outdoors Fall
Starting seeds outdoors in the fall is called Outdoor Sow or Direct Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the fall

SS
Succession Planting
This means that the plants have multiple harvests in a season

First Date: May-02 - Last Date: Jun-13

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Growing information

How to Sow

Growing corn is easy provided you have enough space and plenty of sun. Corn is wind-pollinated, so you need to plant in blocks to ensure pollination. You should have a minimum 10 foot by 10 foot area. The exception to this rule is ‘On Deck’ corn, which has been bred to grow in containers. If you are growing ‘On Deck’, choose a container that is at least 24 inches wide and deep and plant nine seeds evenly spaced.

Corn is classified as Sh2, SE, SU, or SY. These refer to the sweetness and how long the corn may be stored. Sh2 is is supersweet, lasts 4-6 days in the refrigerator and is more challenging to sow in cool soils; SE is sugar-enhanced and lasts over a week in the refrigerator; SU is normal sugary, more cool soil tolerant but with a shorter shelf life; SY combines SE and Sh2 traits. Isolate Sh2 corn varieties from others by planting seeds at least 250 feet apart, or select varieties that mature at least 2 weeks apart, so they will not cross pollinate.

When choosing a site for corn, plant on the north side of your garden so the tall plants do not shade other plants in your vegetable garden.

Corn is a warm season crop and should not be planted in cool soils. The non Sh2 varieties tend to be more tolerant of cool soils, but in general the soil should be about 65 degrees F or warmer.

How to Grow

Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating.

Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote uninterrupted growth. Corn needs 1-2 inches of rain per week for best production. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. Corn is also a heavy feeder and will benefit from side dressings of fertilizer applied as directed through the growing season.

Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.

Suckers tend to form at the base of the plants; they help support the stalks and make food for the plant. The stalks may have to be staked in windy areas, but in general they are self-supporting.

Sunflowers are good companion plant for corn. Direct sow sunflowers in rows parallel to corn rows to help separate corn varieties that need isolation from each other. Choose sunflower varieties of comparable height to the corn plantings. The sunflower border, with vibrant hues in russets to golden-yellow, will add sparkle next to the almost all-green corn plot. The ‘Three Sisters’ (corn, bean and squash) are traditional companion plantings with Native American gardeners.

Harvest and Preserving Tips

Ears of corn are ready to harvest about 17-20 days after the silks appear. The kernels should be firm. Open an ear and pierce a kernel with your fingernail. If the liquid is watery, the corn is not ripe yet. It should be milky. If it is creamy, it is overripe and will not taste as sweet.

Firmly grip the ear and twist downward to harvest. Take care not to break the plant when harvesting the first ear, or the second ear will not develop. Most corn produces two ears.

Store unhusked corn in the fridge and consume as soon as possible. Sh2 and SE varieties keep the longest in the fridge, up to one week.

Corn freezes well after blanching and may also be canned using a pressure cooker. Immature ears may be pickled.

Product Details

Type

SE

Days To Maturity

75 days

Fruit Size

8 inches

Sun

Full Sun

Spread

12 inches

Height

72-84 inches

Sow Method

Direct Sow

Planting Time

Spring

Sow Time

After Last Frost

Thin

9 inches

Reviews

Corn, Ambrosia Hybrid is rated
3.8 out of
5 by
19.

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Lmali from
DisappointingI was excited to plant this breed after reading some of the other reviews, but it turned out to be quite the disappointment. Germination was extremely poor, around 40%, though at first I thought it was just our weather conditions (we had a very wet, cool spring/early summer). I decided to germinate the seeds indoors before replanting and had the same issue, germination only around 40%, so that suggests to me it was the seeds rather than the weather. Then, despite taking the time to hand pollinate to make sure all went well after my woes earlier in the year, I didn't get a single ear longer than four inches and pollination was spotty on all of them. I've included a picture of my best ear out of the whole planting so you can see what I mean. Taste was ok, nothing to write home about, and the amount of space and labor they took was just not remotely worth it. I still have a few seeds left over, but they'll be going in the garbage. Won't be planting these again.

Date published: 2017-09-02

Rated 1 out of
5 by
wickie from
Not too satisfiedGermination was poor-less than 5%-on the first planting so I replanted. Germination was poor again-less than 5%- so I replanted with silver king, which had a better than 90% germination rate.

Date published: 2017-08-17

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jrod79 from
BEST CORN EVER!!!!!!!!Having grown Silver Queen forever, I was skeptical I admit. But seriously this is the sweetest, best tasting corn I've ever had , bar none. Like it says the ears might be a little smaller, around 8 inches but the flavor and sweetness and ease of growing this make up for it 10 fold. Do yourself a favor and plant some at your first opportunity, you won't regret it.

Date published: 2017-07-30

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Niki40 from
Never grew!Not a single one grew and we planted so much! What a waste of money. :(

Date published: 2017-07-16

Rated 5 out of
5 by
NuNu from
Best of Both Worlds!I grew Ambrosia last year and it was wonderful. It seemed like every seed came up. The plants were a lot shorter than Silver Queen - which is helpful using pressurized irrigation. The flavor is best - all the rich taste of a yellow corn with the sweetness of a white. I use a caterpillar spray once the ears start to form and have had no problems with bugs or disease. I have planted Ambrosia again this year. It freezes really well. We blanch and take the corn off the ears. It is better than what you can buy frozen at the grocery.

Date published: 2017-06-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jim S from
Great taste and texture and the best for freezingI planted 200 seeds on our earliest warm weekend. Naturally we very soon suffered a late frost. I still had 60% germination. It might have been a freak but at least half of my ears were not the 8 inch described. They were between 10 to 12 inches!! Fantastic flavor and texture. And Minnesota suffered either dry, dry spells, or we were slogging through a ankle deep mud.
Ambrosia also was very good after being in the freezer. Not like newly picked, but the firmest of all the varieties I planted this year. (Also planted Sweetness when I could not get any more Ambrosia...also very good,)
I will double my planting in 2017 and would heartily recommend this as my new favorite!

Date published: 2016-09-21

Rated 5 out of
5 by
mav77 from
Best corn I have ever tastedI planted 2 crops of this corn this year during the NE drought in my community garden. It came up so fast. I usually add the nitrogen when knee high but it blasted past that. I keep track of dates, and even though silks looked dry, etc, waited for 75 days to pick. I peeked and maybe it wasn't that yellow, but I picked it anyway, opened it up, did the juice test, still unsure so I took a bite. It was delicious, ate half of the cob right there, rest when I got home. Very tender and good production too. The second crop has a few days left, so far it looks good. though the stalks are shorter, barely 5 feet tall. I can't wait to eat it. It does all come ripe at the same time which is too bad, I have to give some away.

Date published: 2016-09-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Larry S from
Great variety!!!Perhaps the best corn to grow!! Definitely the best tasting corn!!